Toronto and Region Conservation Website

The wintertime is all about dreaming and planning, and a good deal of this is done on the web, since we can't get to our gardens under all that snow. Tons of snow!! Sections of my neighborhhood look faintly ridiculous at the moment, with trees looking like lollipops stuck into pointy piles of mashed potatoes. The street next to mine has postage stamp areas to pile their shovelled snow, so the piles keep creeping further and further up the tree trunks. I keep meaning to get a picture.

But snow aside, while cozily indoors, I've just discovered another website, TRCA, or Toronto and Region Conservation. Not sure what the "A" stands for. It looks chock full of information: the Don River, air quality, tree planting, green spaces and opportunities for getting involved.

Their slogan is "For the Living City", which definitely appeals to me, especially now, in the winter, when so much of the green and living city is hibernating.

Alas: Beauty's Only Skin Deep - The Canadian Wildlife Federation and Hunting Ties

I was extolling the virtues of the Canadian Wildlife Federation's website the other day, mostly because of its beautifully designed, and expensive looking, graphics. I thought, "How unusual, for an environmental organization to have the funds to splash out on design services like this". See post below.

A reader quickly informed me of the hidden base of support from Anglers and Hunters that the Federation stands on. A little research produced this info:

The Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF), which claims to be Canada's largest protector of wildlife, is run mostly by people who kill animals for sport.

But from the way it publicizes itself, few of its supporters are likely to know this.

The CWF has 650,000 members and supporters [and] the CWF itself is made up of 12 provincial and territorial federations of rod and gun clubs and individual hunters and anglers. All of the federations, including the largest, the 74,000-member Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH), promote hunting and fishing interests.

People who join CWF because they love animals are considered associate members and have no vote. These non-voting supporters get their information about the organization mainly from its glossy magazines and catalogues, which avoid any mention of the CWF's connection with hunting.

So, just a caution. The website is still beautiful, and there is a ton of wild gardening information there. I'm certainly going to continue to visit. Just be advised, if you, like me, are not in favour of hunting for sport, of what you might be getting into if you join the ranks of the organization, or donate.

Like the Ducks Unlimited organization, where hunters promote wildlife only to destroy certain select members of it, it opens up a whole world of controversy. Just 2 days ago I was listening to a debate about this on CBC where hunters defended their self proclaimed "eco-friendly" practice of "harvesting" animals. I don't know how I feel about this, my gut reaction is "NO!" It definitely gives one pause, to think of the Canadian Wildlife Federation's backyard wildlife program being promoted only to have guns turned on those "preserved" species down the line.

Wild About Gardening! A Beautiful Website

Environmentally friendly publications and websites very often lack funds for professional graphics, and frequently come across as lacklustre and sad looking. It's the bad side of the leftover 70s Hippie Culture: poor, underground, overlooked, just scraping by. So I was thrilled in more ways than one to click on this website this morning on a very snowy day in Toronto and be met with something completely gorgeous, colourful and beautifully put together, design wise: it's the site Wild About Gardening, the Canadian Wildlife Federation's site. Clicking on it brought forth an elegant floral and leafy animation, a beautiful colour scheme and easy to find information. It makes both my gardener's and designer's heart happy to see trends like this!
Check it out here.

Project CHIRP! - Making a home for Migrating Songbirds at YOUR home

Just discovered Project Chirp! when I went to the Civic Garden Centre the other day. The Garden Centre store was closed, alas - I had been hoping for some inspiring garden browsing on a cold January day - but the library was open, as well as the brochure stand, which was full of info. I picked up a Canada Blooms info sheet: It's coming up March 18-22. Tickets at www.canadablooms.com and at Sobey's stores. Adults:$18 Senior/Student:$16

I also picked up a brochure about Project Chirp, an organization founded by Christina Sharma,
a volunteer educator with the Canadian Wildlife Federation. Project Chirp is

a songbird conservation initiative in which the survival needs of songbirds are met through the creation of Canadian Wildlife Federation-certified songbird habitats on residential properties.
With 80% of the land in the Greater Toronto Area being privately owned, the potential exists to enrich these properties for the benefit of individuals and songbirds alike.

I've been trying to lure birds to my second story bird feeders this winter with, so far, mixed success. I've got squirrels out the yin-yang, but bird sitings are, as yet, sporadic. I've seen at least one bluejay, one woodpecker, one cardinal and several purple finches. However, they may be coming around when I'm not looking, as the feed is going down a bit.

There have been some interesting gymnastics with the squirrels trying to get into my spiral bird feeder, mostly they involve hanging upside down, with little arms flailing around. I have to admit, a squirrel hanging upside down is almost cute.

To make my deck a bit more interesting for the birds, I nabbed a "pre-owned" Christmas tree from the front of someone's house a few weeks ago. Yes, I did feel a bit stupid stuffing it into the back of my car, then hauling it out and up the stairs and through my apartment, but it's made a big difference in the landscape out my kitchen door. It actually looks Christmassy - especially today with the snow on it - and definitely more bird-habitat-y. So it was heartening to see that there is a program already to encourage people to bird-up their back and front yards. Everyone could be doing a little bit to make the disappearing habitats of songbirds come back a little bit in the city.

Project Chirp's Christina Sharma writes:

Did you know that Toronto lies on a major migratory route for songbirds? Every night, during spring and fall migration, billions of songbirds fly in the dead of night right through the city of Toronto! Come dawn, they are exhausted, hungry, and thirsty. They need a safe place to land.

Check out Project Chirp here.

How to Grow Fresh Air: Top 50 Plants that Purify the Air in Your Home

A kind reader pointed out that my troubled, leaf dropping rubber tree, Ficus Elastica Sylvia, is notoriously difficult in indoor homes. He eventually found a good home with a greenhouse for his. Researching my rubber tree online, I just discovered that the rubber tree is one of the best plants for reducing indoor pollution. They do this thorugh their natural processes, transpiration and photosynthesis.

I knew that spider plants and philodendrons were good for this, but didn't know that there were so many others. Anyway, this makes me more determined to hang onto the thing, as I've been experimenting with adding more indoor greenery to my apartment, for air-quality benefits. In fact my dream is to have an indoor plant wall. And a fountain. And a bigger apartment.

Anyway, in the meantime, I find there is a book written on the subject by a NASA scientist, B. C. Wolverton. It's definitely on my list to check out. It has a five star rating on Amazon. See the book on Amazon here.

Another in depth article (by Alys Fowler from the Guardian) about this subject is here. Among her recommendations are keeping a Christmas Cactus by your bed as they are one of the few plants that release oxygen at night. She also mentions that areca palms transpire a litre of water every 24 hours.

Until you visit the book, the list of plants is here:

Areca Palm Dypsis lutescens (old name: Chrysalidocarpus lutescens)

Lady Palm Rhapis excelsa

Bamboo Palm Chamaedorea seifrizii

Rubber Plant Ficus robusta

Dracaena “Janet Craig” Dracaena deremensis “Janet Craig”

English Ivy Hedera helix

Dwarf Date Palm Phoenix roebelenii

Ficus Alii Ficus macleilandii “Alii”

Boston Fern Nephrolepis exaltata “Bostoniensis”

Peace Lily Spathiphyllum sp.

Corn Plant Dracaena fragrans “Massangeana”

Golden Pothos Epipremnum aureum

Kimberley Queen Nephrolepis obliterata

Florist’s Mum Chrysanthemum morifolium

Gerbera Daisy Gerbera jamesonii

Dracaena “Warneckei” Dracaena deremensis “Warneckei”

Dragon Tree Dracaena marginata

Red Emerald Philodendron Philodendron erubescens

Syngonium Syngonium podophyllum

Dumb Cane Dieffenbachia “Exotica Compacta”

Parlor Palm Chamaedorea elegans

Weeping Fig Ficus benjamina

Schefflera Brassaia actinophylla

Wax Begonia Begonia semperflorens

Lacy Tree Philodendron Philodendron selloum

Heart-Leaf Philodendron Philodendron oxycardium

Snake Plant Sansevieria trifasciata

Dumb Cane Dieffenbachia Camilla

Elephant Ear Philodendron Philodendron domesticum or

Philodendron tuxla

Norfolk Island Pine Araucaria heterophylla

King of Hearts Homalomena wallisii

Prayer Plant Maranta leuconeura “Kerchoveana”

Dwarf Banana Musa cavendishii

Christmas and Easter Cactus Schlumbergera bridgesii,

Schlumbergera rhipsalidopsis

Oakleaf Ivy Cissus rhombifolia “Ellen Danika”

Lily Turf Liriope spicata

Dendrobium Orchid Dendrobium sp.

Spider Plant Chlorophytum comosum “Vittatum”

Chinese Evergreen Aglaonema crispum “Silver Queen”

Anthurium Anthurium andraeanum

Croton Codiaeum variegatum pictum

Poinsettia Euphorbia pulcherrima

Dwarf Azalea Rhododendron simsii “Compacta”

Peacock Plant Calathea makoyana

Aloe Vera Aloe barbadensis

Cyclamen Cyclamen persicum

Urn Plant Aechmea fasciata

Tulip Tulipa gesneriana

Moth Orchid Phalenopsis sp.

Kalanchoe Kalanchoe blossfeldiana

The leaves are falling from my Rubber Tree. I know not why.

UPDATE: A kind reader pointed out that my troubled, leaf dropping rubber tree, the variegated Ficus Elastica Sylvia, is notoriously difficult in our dry indoor homes. Leaf droppage is typical behaviour. They need a great deal of humidity to be happy. He eventually found a good home with a greenhouse for his.
One way to combat dry indoor air is to set the plant on a tray of pebbles, or aquarium gravel that you keep moist, allowing the moist air to keep the humidity up around the plant. Misting a few times a day would help too, if you have the time and patience for that. I usually bring plants that need this treatment to the sink for an overhaul and spray away. I don't do it every day, though! I eventually moved my rubber tree to the greenhouse-like front porch where it is a lot cooler, and considerably moister. It's hanging in. Another thought is that Ficus in general do not like to be moved. This is true for the Ficus Benjamina, who are notorious leaf-droppers. The leaf dropping doesn't always mean a death knell. Time in a new spot may prove that it adjusts and the leaf dropping goes away. END OF UPDATE

ORIGINAL POST: I bought a perky little rubber tree plant in the fall. Just a small one in a 4" pot. It was part of my Fall Greenery Home Depot Binge to cheer up the November house. It has been living in my bathroom and looking fine, with its variegated shiny leaves all happy and...well, perky. I thought perhaps it didn't mind the less than stellar lighting conditions in there. Didn't people have rubber trees in houses in the 50s? They didn't have them in the window did they? They are always standing against a wall beside a bookcase and a drapery with a valance. And a coffee table.

Well, something is definitely bugging this one as it's been particulary fall-like in its leaf dropping propensities of late. The leaves that are falling off look perfectly healthy too. A mystery.
I did notice a couple of mealy bugs on it which I smushed off. (I'd never seen a mealybug before. Read about them often. Never encountered one. White fuzzy things)

The picture at top shows my rubber tree plant in happier times. As for the leaf drop, more research is required. Will report back.